Monday, December 29, 2008
A bailout for the arts
With all of the economic calamity around us, which seems to be devastating the art world (more on that later), this is in today's Washington Post.
Sunday, December 14, 2008
Economic stimulus
It seems that president-elect initial economic stimulus plan will focus on projects that are shovel ready. Among the submitted projects are two museums, the first in Philadelphia, the second in Miami. These museums require a combined 200 millions $US and could employ thousands of people.
So here is the question: Should they be built? Can localities afford new museums? Miami in particular is struggling to recoup the cost of the new opera house. Where will operating costs come from? where will the money to buy new art come from? The recent troubles of MOCA in LA should make us all pose for a second.
Besides, once a museum is built, other than the handful of high paying jobs that it generates for its curators and directors, all the rest of the jobs are really low wage jobs generating very little in terms of income tax and revenues for their localities (not that there is a local income tax in Miami).
Of course the arguments to build these museums are plenty. If you have been to the current building housing the Miami Art Museum, you would know what I mean.
Post your thoughts.
The building currently housing the Miami Art Museum.
The new design for the Miami Art Museum.
So here is the question: Should they be built? Can localities afford new museums? Miami in particular is struggling to recoup the cost of the new opera house. Where will operating costs come from? where will the money to buy new art come from? The recent troubles of MOCA in LA should make us all pose for a second.
Besides, once a museum is built, other than the handful of high paying jobs that it generates for its curators and directors, all the rest of the jobs are really low wage jobs generating very little in terms of income tax and revenues for their localities (not that there is a local income tax in Miami).
Of course the arguments to build these museums are plenty. If you have been to the current building housing the Miami Art Museum, you would know what I mean.
Post your thoughts.
The building currently housing the Miami Art Museum.
The new design for the Miami Art Museum.
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
You know times are bad when Gael Greene is fired
From today's NYtimes. Makes me want to see "Ratatouille" again.
Gael Greene. Courtesy www.nytimes.com
Gael Greene. Courtesy www.nytimes.com
Sunday, November 23, 2008
John Aquilino at Neptune
How fitting!. A couple of weeks after America elects for the first time in a while, an Urban dweller to be its president, after America came to the realization that people living in cities are real American, after America really understood the challenges of global climate change and that cities are possibly the greenest way of living, Neptune shows the urban landscapes of John Aquilino. America's cities are coming back, in force it seems.
John Aquilino is a master at playing mind games with the viewers. It starts with the titles of his works: "White circle", "P8", "Red Doorway" all forcing you to look harder and harder into the painting trying to find what the reference in the title is all about. And then the Eureka moment, when you finally find the "white circle" and the "P8" sign and the "red doorway".
Now with a sense of achievement, you take a step back and admire the work of a man who undeniably is in love with cities. He has to be. The sharp lines, bright colors, almost obsessive attention to details are the works of someone who wants to leave nothing to chance, nothing for interpretation, he wants you to see cities exactly like they are: Ventilator shafts, chimneys, No Parking signs, and makes you wonder how you could you not see the beauty in all of this.
While images of people are conspicuously absent, their fingerprints are all over. What more than buildings as signs of human spirit and genius. But look more closely you will see here and there, asymmetric blinds and curtains showing that humans are indeed part of the intricate fabric of these cities.
John Aquilino. White Circle. Oil on canvas. Courtesy Neptune website.
Aquilino's attention to details and obsessive work is nowhere more on display than in his collages. The artist apparently did not get the memo on collages being a more "frivolous" form of art, less structured and less disciplined. He actually reconstructs some of the oil paintings using small paper cuts. Seen from a distance, you would not think that they are in fact collages.
John Aquilino. Collage 4. Courtesy Neptune website.
As evidenced by this image of collage 4, it is really "white circle" reproduced with paper cuts. It is brilliant.
Reasonably priced, these fantastic art works were selling very fast on opening night yesterday. If you want to start a collection or add Aquilino's work to your already existing collection, you better hurry.
John Aquilino is a master at playing mind games with the viewers. It starts with the titles of his works: "White circle", "P8", "Red Doorway" all forcing you to look harder and harder into the painting trying to find what the reference in the title is all about. And then the Eureka moment, when you finally find the "white circle" and the "P8" sign and the "red doorway".
Now with a sense of achievement, you take a step back and admire the work of a man who undeniably is in love with cities. He has to be. The sharp lines, bright colors, almost obsessive attention to details are the works of someone who wants to leave nothing to chance, nothing for interpretation, he wants you to see cities exactly like they are: Ventilator shafts, chimneys, No Parking signs, and makes you wonder how you could you not see the beauty in all of this.
While images of people are conspicuously absent, their fingerprints are all over. What more than buildings as signs of human spirit and genius. But look more closely you will see here and there, asymmetric blinds and curtains showing that humans are indeed part of the intricate fabric of these cities.
John Aquilino. White Circle. Oil on canvas. Courtesy Neptune website.
Aquilino's attention to details and obsessive work is nowhere more on display than in his collages. The artist apparently did not get the memo on collages being a more "frivolous" form of art, less structured and less disciplined. He actually reconstructs some of the oil paintings using small paper cuts. Seen from a distance, you would not think that they are in fact collages.
John Aquilino. Collage 4. Courtesy Neptune website.
As evidenced by this image of collage 4, it is really "white circle" reproduced with paper cuts. It is brilliant.
Reasonably priced, these fantastic art works were selling very fast on opening night yesterday. If you want to start a collection or add Aquilino's work to your already existing collection, you better hurry.
Saturday, November 22, 2008
FotoWeekDC at the Fraser Gallery
As part of the FotoWeekDC, the Fraser gallery shows the works of 5 photographers.
Karen Keating shows black and white photographs of Cubans in their everyday life. While, I can't speak about the composition and technical aspects, I can say that I like them. Having never been to Cuba, but having seen photographs of Cuba, you can't help but expect Ibrahim Ferrer to show up in one of them. It does say something that an American goes to Cuba and shows life in Cuba like Cuban would. Priced at around 300US$, they are a good place to start a collection, it is too bad that these are not editioned prints.
The center piece of the show is certainly Maxwell MacKinzie. The power of his color photographs of rural landscapes and fields are fantastic. However my favorite is a black and white photograph of a Jetski on a lake. It is brilliant.
Maxwell MacKinzie. Blanche Lake, Minnesota. Detail
Karen Keating shows black and white photographs of Cubans in their everyday life. While, I can't speak about the composition and technical aspects, I can say that I like them. Having never been to Cuba, but having seen photographs of Cuba, you can't help but expect Ibrahim Ferrer to show up in one of them. It does say something that an American goes to Cuba and shows life in Cuba like Cuban would. Priced at around 300US$, they are a good place to start a collection, it is too bad that these are not editioned prints.
The center piece of the show is certainly Maxwell MacKinzie. The power of his color photographs of rural landscapes and fields are fantastic. However my favorite is a black and white photograph of a Jetski on a lake. It is brilliant.
Maxwell MacKinzie. Blanche Lake, Minnesota. Detail
Friday, November 21, 2008
FotoWeekDC at Fraser Gallery
Fraser gallery holds an exhibit of 6 acclaimed photographers in conjunction with FotoWeekDC. The exhibit has already been reviewed here in the Gazette.
Also, this Sunday November 22nd, the gallery holds a book signing day from 12-5pm. The schedule is as follows:
Noon - Joyce Tenneson "A Life in Photography: 1968 - 2008"
1PM - Frank Van Riper and Judith Goodman "Serenissima"
2PM - Maxwell MacKenzie "Markings," "Abandonings" and "American Ruins"
3PM - Karen Keating "Cuba: Watching and Waiting"
4PM - Danny Conant "Vanishing Tibet"
Also, this Sunday November 22nd, the gallery holds a book signing day from 12-5pm. The schedule is as follows:
Noon - Joyce Tenneson "A Life in Photography: 1968 - 2008"
1PM - Frank Van Riper and Judith Goodman "Serenissima"
2PM - Maxwell MacKenzie "Markings," "Abandonings" and "American Ruins"
3PM - Karen Keating "Cuba: Watching and Waiting"
4PM - Danny Conant "Vanishing Tibet"
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